Rhema Washing

“O you who dwell in the gardens, My companions listen for your voice; Let me hear it. Make haste, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young hart upon the mountains of spices.” (Song of Solomon 8:13-14, RecVer)

The Lord has revealed the high-peak truth to us in His recovery. Our attitude must be to open to Him and hear His voice. Our prayer should be, "Lord, let me hear Your voice." And we must have a desire for the Lord’s coming again. We must pay heed to the present truth, pursue, study, be constituted with, and present the present truth to the saints and even the new ones. This is the kind of person I should be today, living in this age; pursuing the truth, being constituted with the present truth, and presenting the present truth to the saints.

“Therefore I will be ready always to remind you concerning these things, even though you know them and have been established in the present truth.” (2 Peter 1:12, RecVer)

The apostles were rejoicing in the fact that the brothers were walking in the truth. So must I be. But for this, the brothers must know the present truth that they can walk in.

“For I rejoiced greatly at the brothers’ coming and testifying to your steadfastness in the truth, even as you walk in truth.” (3 John 3, RecVer)

Walking in the truth definitely requires one to experience the truth. The knowing of the word in its logos must be followed by the experience of the word in its rhema. I was freshly enlightened to see how the Lord carries out the washing in our inward being in addition to making us know His truth. 

That He might sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing of the water in the word. Ephesians 5:26

Water: Water here refers to the flowing life of God typified by flowing water (Exo. 17:6; 1 Cor. 10:4; John 7:37-39; Rev. 7:17; 21:6; 22:1, 17).

Washing: The Greek word for washing in Ephesians 5:26 is literally laver; in the Old Testament the priests used the laver to wash away their earthly defilement (Exo. 30:18-21); day by day, morning and evening. Therefore, we need to come to the Bible and be cleansed by the laver of the water in the word.

Word: The Greek word is rhema with its washing process (Eph. 5:26).

The washing here can be compared with the washing by the priest in the Old Testament at the brazen laver which is different from the altar where there was the shedding of the blood of the sacrifices. The altar signifies the cross of Christ where blood was shed for redemption. We apply this today for the cleansing of the sins we have committed. The laver signifies the water that flowed out of the Lord's pierced side for the supplying of the divine life that washes our defilement as a result of our contact with the world, of our flesh, self, old man, and the natural life.

Today, Christ as the life-giving Spirit sanctifies us by cleansing us according to the washing of the water in the word. We are now in such a washing process in order that we, the church, may be holy and without blemish. For this to be real in our experiences, we must come to the Lord through His word and long for His instant speaking. It is only His instant and living speaking that actually works in our being and makes us grow in life.

The important thing for each one of us is this—is God speaking His word to me today?—Rev. 2:7; 1 Sam. 3:1, 21; Amos 3:7. One thing that we always treasure is that the Lord still speaks to us personally and directly today; true growth in life depends upon our receiving the word directly from God; only His speaking in us has true spiritual value—Heb. 3:7-11, 15; 4:7; Psa. 95:7-8. The central point of our prayers should be our longing for the Lord’s speaking, which enables us to fulfill the goal of His eternal economy according to His heart’s desire to have His divine sonship—Luke 1:38; 10:38-42; Eph. 1:5. In a very practical sense, the Lord’s presence is one with His speaking; whenever He speaks, we realize His presence within us; Christ’s speaking is the very presence of the life-giving Spirit— cf. Exo. 33:12-17; Heb. 11:8. Excerpt from HWMR An Overview of the Central Burden and Present Truth of the Lord’s Recovery before His  Appearing, msg 1.

As I shared this burden of experiencing the washing of the water in the word in line with listening to His words day by day, all the saints and I myself were so nourished with His living words. May the Lord grace us to be poor in spirit, to open our mouth wide that He can fill us and that we can receive His present speaking through His rhema word that we are washed and cleansed to grow in life unto full maturity to become the same as He in life and nature but not in Godhead. This is the rhema washing that we need daily. And it is this rhema washing that can fulfill God's eternal economy.

Lord, sanctify us by the washing of the water in the word daily!